A former Dodgers prospect is headed back to Southern California.
The Angels acquired right-handed reliever Nick Robertson, who debuted in L.A. just last year, on a waiver claim from the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday.
The Dodgers drafted Robertson as the 221st overall pick in the seventh round of the 2019 MLB draft. Last season, he made his MLB debut with Los Angeles on June 7, 2023. His first Major League outing was promising as he did not allow any hits or runs and threw three strikeouts across two innings.
That would prove to be the longest appearance for Robertson with the Dodgers. His performance declined from there. In his second outing, he allowed five hits and three runs in one inning. Robertson never saw more than two innings per outing again and his ERA never fell below 6.00.
The reliever made nine appearances and was credited with one loss with the Dodgers. Across 10.1 innings on the mound, Robertson posted a 6.10 ERA with 13 strikeouts and four walks. Batters averaged a high .370 average against him, and he allowed 17 hits and 10 runs.
A few days before the 2023 MLB trade deadline, the Dodgers traded Robertson and another right-handed pitcher, Justin Hagenman, to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Kiké Hernández. Robertson made seven appearances with the Red Sox before being traded again at the end of the season.
The Red Sox sent Robertson to the St. Louis Cardinals with right-handed pitcher Victor Santos for left fielder Tyler O’Neill. The Roanoke, Virginia native spent the majority of his time in the minor leagues or on the injured list.
The Cardinals placed Robertson on the 15-day injured list on May 26 with right elbow inflammation. After Robertson reactivated the reliever on June 24, he continued to play for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds. On Sunday, the Cardinals designated Robertson for assignment.
The team also announced it claimed left-handed reliever Brock Burke off waivers from the Texas Rangers.
That was when the Angels decided to pick up the 26-year-old. With every new team, Robertson has decreased his ERA, so the move to Anaheim may be beneficial for the young pitcher.
The Angels had two open spots on their 40-man roster, which means the addition of Robertson and Brock Burke on Tuesday did not require any additional roster changes.
